DANIEL
ADEKUNLE OJO, 33, a citizen of Nigeria residing in Durham, N.C., was
arrested yesterday on a federal criminal complaint charging him with
fraud and identity theft offenses stemming from a scheme to obtain the
personal identifying information of school employees in Connecticut and
elsewhere.

Following his arrest at his Durham residence, OJO appeared before a U.S.
magistrate judge in Greensboro, N.C., and was ordered detained pending
his transfer to the District of Connecticut.

As alleged in the criminal complaint, special agents from the FBI’s
cybercrime squad in New Haven and the IRS have been investigating
“phishing” emails that were sent to various school districts in
Connecticut earlier this year.

In February 2017, an employee of the Glastonbury Public Schools received
an email that appeared to be sent by another Glastonbury school system
employee. The email contained a request to send W-2 tax information for
all employees of the school system. The recipient of the email responded
by sending copies of the W-2 information for approximately 1,600
Glastonbury Public Schools employees. After the W-2 information was
emailed, approximately 122 suspicious Forms 1040 were filed
electronically with the IRS in the names of victims of the Glastonbury
phishing scheme. The 122 tax returns claimed tax refunds totaling
$596,897. Approximately six of the returns were processed, and $36,926
in fraudulently-obtained funds were electronically deposited into
various bank accounts.

The complaint alleges that OJO controlled or used an aol.com email
account and a gmail.com email account involved in this phishing scheme,
and that he participated in the scheme to obtain the Glastonbury school
system employees’ personal identifying information and use it for
personal gain.

This ongoing investigation also includes phishing incidents that
victimized the Groton Public Schools, and the Bloomington Independent
School District in Bloomington, Minnesota.

As to the Groton Public Schools, in March 2017, a school system employee
emailed copies of the W-2 information for approximately 1,300 employees.
After the W-2 information was sent, approximately 66 suspicious Forms
1040 were filed electronically with the IRS in the names of victims of
the Groton phishing scheme. The tax returns claimed tax refunds totaling
$364,188. The fraudulent tax returns were not processed by the IRS
because they were flagged as being part of an identity theft scheme, and
no money was released in connection with the returns.

The complaint alleges that OJO entered the U.S. on a visitor’s visa in
May 23, 2016, and failed to depart on his scheduled departure date of
June 8, 2016.

“Cybercriminals are becoming increasingly cunning in exploiting
technology to steal identifying information from unwitting victims,”
said U.S. Attorney Deirdre Daly. “Fortunately, our cyber investigators
are skilled at cracking these crimes and catching these fraudsters. To
help avoid becoming a victim, always remember when you click on a link
or send an email, check – and then double check – that the link you’re
being asked to open, or the email address you are responding to, is
authentic. A single mistake can lead to a lot of misery. I commend the
FBI cybercrime squad and IRS for quickly bringing this individual to
justice. This investigation is ongoing.”

“The individuals that conduct these phishing schemes have one goal: To
steal personal information for financial gain,” said FBI Special Agent
in Charge Ferrick. “This case is particularly disturbing due to the
methods used and the targeted victims. Cybercrimes are on the rise so we
need corporations and the general public to be cognizant of their day to
day computer use and vulnerabilities. We will continue to utilize our
best resources and top law enforcement personal to bring cybercriminals
to justice.”

“Investigating
identity theft and refund fraud is a top priority for IRS Criminal
Investigation,” said Special Agent in Charge Garland. “Stealing
identities and filing false tax returns is a serious crime that harms
innocent taxpayers. This arrest, in cooperation with the FBI and U.S.
Attorney’s Office, should serve as a strong warning to those who are
considering similar conduct. Law enforcement will aggressively pursue
cyber-criminals who undermine the integrity of the U.S. tax system.”

The complaint charges OJO with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, an
offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and
aggravated identity theft, an offense that carries a mandatory
consecutive term of imprisonment of at least two years.

U.S. Attorney Daly stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not
evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is
presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable
doubt.

This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation
and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, with
the assistance of the Durham (N.C.) Police Department. The case is being
prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarala V. Nagala, with the
assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of
North Carolina.